March 12, 2016

Leading air conditioning and refrigeration solutions provider Concepcion Industrial Corporation (CIC), through its subsidiary Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Company (CCAC), has launched the Green Footprints Movement, in line with its thrust to drive the conversation about climate change,

The Green Footprints Movements, CIC's advocacy aims to galvanize the general public into action towards reducing their environment footprint.

“For CIC, we aim to strengthen our commitment to a sustainable future by driving greater awareness and understanding of climate change and global warming among consumers and other stakeholders, and enabling access to green choices that will enable consumers to reduce their environmental footprint.”

The Green Footprints Movement launched held at the Blackbird, Neilson Tower, Makati City, March 10, 2016.

A call for green advocates

CCAC’s Green Footprints Movement serves as a clarion call to the public to become green advocates.

Harold Pernikar, Jr., CCAC Director and Head of the Consumer Solutions Group.

“We want the public to be able to connect their everyday actions and decisions with its environmental impact,” shared Harold Pernikar, Jr., CCAC Director and Head of the Consumer Solutions Group.“This consciousness, we believe, will lead them to make environmental impact an important consideration and value in everything they do or use.”

Central to the Green Footprints Movement is creating awareness through consumer education, with the campaign focused on making information on environmental impact reduction available to a wider audience.

“Our goal is to provide the public with the knowledge of how they can make small, practical changes that will have significant effect on their own footprints, such as the responsible use of electricity and even making more sensible selections when it comes to the products they use in their homes,” said Pernikar.

A long-standing commitment to the environment

The Green Footprints Movement is a testament to CIC’s long-standing commitment to the environment, having led its industry in exercising responsible stewardship by employing best green practices and conducting their operations in a manner that safeguards the environment.

“Environmental health and safety is and has always been a key core value of CIC, and this is evident in the way we manage our business,” stated Concepcion, who noted how the company has leveraged on technology to create green facilities. “A crucial first step is cultivating a culture of sustainability within the company itself, which is why we have always been mindful of our own environmental impact, looking at our own performance in terms of recycling, water and waste consumption, and setting goals to reduce our footprint year after year.”

CCAC also recognizes that the public must have greater access to environment-friendly products so that they can make greener choices. It was the first Philippine manufacturer to convert its refrigerators to use environment-friendly refrigerants back in 1995, and is once again leading the industry for its air conditioning solutions.

“Ninety-six percent of our air conditioning products have already been converted to using environmentally responsive refrigerants, and we expect to make a 100% product conversion within the year,” said Pernikar, who also shared that the switch is being made ahead of the global deadlines set by the Montreal Protocol, which established a timeline for the eventual elimination of ozone-depleting substances.

“Part of the private sector’s responsibility goes beyond compliance with standards and regulations -- it’s in rising to the challenge of offering practical, green products through constant innovation and investment,” Pernikar added.

Advocates Marc Nelson and Christine Dychiao share their example and some steps on how people can take to help save the environment.

By enabling the public to become more aware that each and every action they make today can have lasting effects on the planet’s future, CIC and CCAC aspire to empower the public to make smarter and greener choices.

“As we enjoin people to commit to reducing their collective environmental footprint through the Green Footprints Movement,” said Concepcion, "we believe we can create a significant impact towards creating a better, safer environment for the next generations.